. tonight on until "nightline," fountain of youth. is there a secret to living longer? is it a magic pill? a special diet? a healthy lifestyle? we have the "nightline" guide for trying to live to 100. into the wild. that's where you'll find the illusive red capped monkey, high in the tree tops. an animal as curious as it is threatened. tonight, we'll unlock the mystery. and the hitmaker. she conquered the music industry, but can she win over the "american idol" faithful? kara dioguardi talks about her relationship with paula and who should fill simon's big shoes.

>> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with martin bashir and cynthia mcfadden in new york city and terry moran in washington, this is "nightline," july 2nd 20106789. >> good evening. we're going to begin tonight with the hands of time. there's a billion-dollar anti-aging industry out there, designed to slow that process down, but what if the answer to living longer is not something you do to your body or put into your body, but rather something that's already there? a new study suggests that may be the case. of course, there's no shortage of opinions about how you can live to a ripe old age, as john berman now reports. >> reporter: it is the holy grail. perhaps the one single thing from which we will pay anything and try anything. diets, drinks, pills. we are desperate for someone, anyone to tell us the secret to

long life. and tell us the exact location of that illusive fountain of youth. >> when i reached 100, i was so amazed. >> reporter: bennie madigan's 100th birthday was ten years ago. now she's 110. >> i move when i please and do what i please. >> reporter: how did she get here? >> i read a lot. and i play games. >> reporter: in truth, when it comes to games the cards might be stacked in her favor. that's the discovery in a hugely buzzing new study out of boss dn university. >> we see that genes are playing a really important role in the ability to get to these very, very old ages. >> reporter: you want to live past 100? it turns out it's in your genes. >> reporter: these signatures that have a lot of accuracy and potential predictability for living to 100 and older. >> reporter: these signatures can predict, with 77% accuracy, whether someone will live past the century mark.

so, does this mean we should all give up the quest for the so-called fountain of youth? either you have the genes or you don't? not at all. >> no matter what age you're at, certainly healthy lifestyle plays an important role. >> reporter: in the united states, the average life eck peck tan si is 78 years. only 1 in 6,000 will live to be 100. and it's only among this extremely old group that these genetic factors seem to take center stage. getting to that point, extending life in general, is a whole industry with a whole range of theories and ideas. >> what can people learn from seeing these monkeys? >> i think they can learn that monkey monkeys look like they're ageing at a slower rate and their health is staying better longer. >> reporter: "nightline's" vicki mabrey looks into the phenomenon of calorie restriction. by cutting the intake of these monkeys by 30%, these researchers believe they can

extend the lives of the monkeys by 30 % to 40%. >> we're seeing clear differences in just how old the animals look in the two different groups. >> reporter: plenty of humans are trying this, too. but if a life of raw vegetables and whole grains is not for you, fear not. vicki talked to some people looking for a different way. >> so, instead of having to calorie restrict your life span, which nobody really wants to do, what we hope to do is, have a pill that will be able to be taken safely, hopefully for many years, and to give you the same benefits as this diet. >> reporter: the pill would contain something called resveratrol. researchers believe it would have the same effect as cutting calories without having to do it. >> we believe they activate the genetic pathways that control the aging process. >> reporter: the best part? it can be found in red wine. but if you're looking for something stronger than wine,

terry moran came across another proposed solution. >> i've been injecting it. i'm on thyroid, dhea, 100 milligrams. i'm on growth hormone, one unit a day. >> reporter: it's called senojen ickes. >> this is not wild experiment. this is basic physiology. we are healthier that way. >> reporter: by the way, the doctor died shortly after "nightline" aired this piece at just 69 years old. and the federal government does not endorse this sort of medical/chemical solution to age delay. but this man, dan butter, has devoted his life to finding more natural answers. >> there's very good research that if you optimize it, activity will go up. >> reporter: he told john donvan about blue zones, areas where he found some of the world's

centenarians. and he discussed the keys about what he believed led them to live such long and healthy lives. places to exercise, good food to eat played a role. but there was more. also important? a sense of community. >> they have this notion of a social network they call mawai. children travel together. >> reporter: and then there is a sense of purpose a reason to get up in the morning. every morning. >> we know that people have strong sense of purpose live about seven years longer than people that don't. >> reporter: he's trying to convince people this living adds up. >> they'll be healthier if they optimize their environment when it comes to how you eat and how you move and how you socialize and your sense of purpose. >> reporter: maybe it gets you in the ballpark where those genes kick in. but take it from bennie. maybe living long shouldn't be

the only goal, but instead, living well. >> i've done all i can do, so, when my time comes, i'm ready. >> reporter: i'm john berman for "nightline" in new york. >> bless her. the illusive search for the fountain of youth there. thanks to john berman for that. when we come back, we're going to turn to a different search. this one, above the jungle floor in a land far away, where we meet the mysterious red capped mangobe. it can happen anytime. an everyday moment can turn romantic at a moment's notice. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. cialis for daily use is a clinically proven, low-dose tablet you take every day, so you can be ready anytime the moment's right for you and your partner. tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity.

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we turn now to a land far away that is home to countless animal speciesments among them is a mysterious monkey with a distinctive shock of red hair. danger on the ground has forced scientists high into the tree tops to get a better and sometimes safer look at the red capped mangabey, as jeremy hubbard now reports. ♪ >> reporter: high atop this untouched rain forest, a red capped mangabey and a curious climatologist. >> they're here. the monkeys are here. >> reporter: down below, a four-ton killer. fast as an olympic sprinter who can trample humans in a heartbeat. >> these guys are hooked on getting charged by elephants. we're really not. >> reporter: this dangerous setting is the jungle of the central african nation of gaban,

where a daring research project has been driven to higher ground. >> lovely to actually be at their level and you get the sounds all coming through this upper canopy. >> reporter: to this ramshackle tree house that will serve as home base for julie anderson. >> you know, we built this tree house and i'm really encouraged that they're not phased by it at all. >> reporter: living quarters 20 feet off the ground. observation deck, five stories high. safely out of reach of the four-tunnel fanlts roaming the forest floor down below. >> ah, ah, ah. >> reporter: for six weeks, they'll study its every move. the monkeys have reason to fear humans. hunters and loggers have nearly wiped them out. >> just seen an adult from the trees coming to the ground. >> reporter: little is known about this species, so julie researches their every habit, starting with how they eat.

>> this is what they're after, and it's just coming into perfect ripeness, hence the color. so, these guys know this, and this is why they come to this area. >> reporter: the ripest fruit is in the top of the trees but eating here makes the monkeys easy prey for eagles. so, they have a plan. they stuff their cheeks full of the fruit to be carried away and eaten later. >> i do not know what to expect, but i'm hoping it's going to be an eventful one. >> reporter: for a face to face look at how they live, julie goes to live with them. >> oh, my goodness. that is a long way down. >> reporter: she hopes by being up here in the jungle canopy, they'll view her as a friend, not a foe. >> they're literally two treatments away from me. i'm understanding the significance and the -- the feel of some of these behaviors. >> reporter: but much is still to be learned about their

sleeping habits. so, on another night, julie and her team venture out, hoping to document their after-dark behavior. since they can't use lights, this heat sensing thermal imaging camera will have to do. >> bit like a sort of 1960s lsd experiment, isn't it? >> reporter: they spot plenty of wildlife. that right there is a bat. >> wow, wow, wow. >> reporter: but no red capped mangabey yet. >> sleeping on the outer edge, overlooking the lagoon. they must be further into the sleeping zone. >> reporter: so, julie makes what could be a fatal decision. stumbling into the forest at night when those elephants are most likely to attack. she blindly trods along until she spots something glowing up there in the trees. >> oh, my goodness. one, two there. >> reporter: it is one of the few times the mangabey has been captured on camera asleep. and this reveals a surprise.

the monkeys sleep alone or in pairs. not as a group. >> it's weird that these monkeys are so far apart from each other. which makes me think that they feel really secure in this area. they're certainly not expecting us. so, they're really spaced out and they're really relaxed in this sleeping zone. >> reporter: how they sleep, how they eat, where they travel. mysteries that are slowly revealing themselves. >> he looks bloody hungry. >> reporter: and the thermal camera is helping to answer questions about that persistent forest threat, the elephant. the team uses the camera to sneak up on this imposing bull. >> can't help but notice we are drifting in towards the beach above which he looms. >> oh, here he goes. here he comes. >> this thing looks he wants to jump in. >> reporter: thankfully, that doesn't happen. they are able to get even closer, capturing video that could transform how scientists

study these animals. for instance, with the light colored spochs on their skin, researchers can identify individual elephants and track them over time. that is if the elephants survive long enough. these forests are now the world's biggest source of illegal ivory. thousands of forest elephants are being killed here every year. >> this is hidden in a trail. the elephant steps on this, and this imbeds itself in the elephant's foot and gradually, over time, the elephant succumbs to disease, infection and dies. >> reporter: dying off slowly is still a concern for the manga y mangabey, as well. some researchers feel they could be extinct within the next decade because of hunters and the loggers, who, every year, destroy an area of forest the size of 25 soccer fields. >> wow! what a view! >> reporter: and, with this project complete, julie hopes more researchers will take up

residence here. the canopy perch that puts them eye to eye with the monkeys. a crude but crucial research base in the fight to save a species. i'm jeremy hubbard for "nightline." >> really important work in the rain forest there. thanks to jeremy for that. and you can see more about these remarkable creatures in national geographics "life in the canopy," premiering tuesday. and when we come back, well, she's not the mean one. she's not the nice one. but she is the "american idol" judge who may have the best musical chops. it's the "nightline" interview musical chops. it's the "nightline" interview with car are dioguardi. or does frizz make you start all over? get ready for a revolution. the new pantene. frizzy to smooth system. medium to thick hair absorbs up to 40% more moisture. so we customized a pro-v system that in test, outlasts the frizz point. the results?

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>> announcer: "nightline" continues from washington with terry moran. >> "american idol" has produced multiple grammy award winners, but its biggest stars may be the judges. of course, paula, already left, simon is out next. among those staying on is kara dioguardi, and while she may not be the biggest name, you can bet you know her music. vicki mabrey sits down with kara in the "nightline" interview. ♪ ain't no other man but you >> reporter: what did christi christinaing a lair ya have to do with see lean dion's "taking chances?" ♪ what do you say to taking chan chances ♪ >> reporter: or gwen stefani? they're all hits, and they all share the same song writer.

a dynamo named kara dioguardi. >> sounds like diarrhea. >> sounds like a why ya pet. >> reporter: people in the business know her name. she's written hundreds of songs. more than 45 of which have appeared on albums on billboard's top ten list. writing used to be her day job until she joined "american idol." >> for some reason i thought it would be the greatest thing ever and it would just be happy, happy, happy and fabulous and while it's been incredible, there were also some very difficult things that came along with it. >> reporter: such as? >> i think america felt like i was there to replace paula and paula was so famous, so loved, so nurturing. >> reporter: some fans thought she push eed paula out. kara says they're still friends. >> i would say we're friends. i don't speak to her as much. i've texted her and we hugged each other at the finale and -- >> reporter: she doesn't think

you came along and -- >> i hope not. because i certainly never wanted to do that. i think that she made -- i know she made the decision to leave. it was time. >> reporter: she learned quickly, tossing off a little mariah riff when necessary. the one with the guts and the body to step up when challenged by the hopeful known as bikini girl. she's grown into the judging role, she says. not bad for a kid from suburban new york, the daughter of a politician and a homemaker who recognized their girl had talent. ♪ you're looking swell >> dad went and got all the videos from the basement and put them online and i almost died when i saw them. ♪ daddy i'll never go away again ♪ >> i have braces and my hair is

winged back. >> reporter: you're singing show tunes. >> of course. when rock music came on, i was -- shut that off, quiet. >> reporter: but it was the rock music that stuck. >> let me hear that "let's blow it up" line. >> jimmy: though she went to duke to study opera. >> i went to one class and i was like, no way. there's no way i'm doing that. i was like -- no. >> reporter: did it almost take the music out of you? >> no, it put the music in me. when i graduated, i wanted to be an artist, and no one would give me their songs and that's when i became a writer. >> reporter: she moved to l.a. to write a song for paula. but that song "spinning around," went to australian pop sensation kylie minogue. >> i was kind of upset. and then i saw the video and it was just her derriere, it was just her butt, the whole video, and i was like -- well?

maybe it will sell. i don't know. >> reporter: it did. other performers came calling, asking for songs. but kara wanted to sing her own songs. >> after awhile i was signed as an artist and then dropped. >> reporter: why do you think they dropped you? >> i had no real understanding of who i was as an artist. i don't even know that i do now. i just know who i am as a person. there's a big difference. >> reporter: she learned a lot about who she was during the seven years her mother battled ovarian cancer. she died when kara was 26. and that's when the kara dioguardi we know now was born. she dug deep inside to find the words to co-write songs like "momma song" with carrie understo underwood. she hasn't been inspired yet to write one about her new husband, michael mccutty. >> her songs are about the

boyfriend's a loser, this thing, which is good. i don't want a song. the guy's a jerk. >> wish me luck. >> reporter: she credits mike and "american idol" with giving her the confidence to conquer her stage fright, enabling her to perform her songs in concert. >> i basically go on stage and i sing a bunch of songs that are co-written that were hits. ♪ why do i feel this good sober ♪ ♪ i don't want to be the girl who has to feel the silence ♪ >> and there's a 15-minute question and answer period, you know, is simon really that mean? is randy really say "dog" that much. what it's like with ellen? that kind of stuff is really fun. >> reporter: with simon moving on in the fall, kara doesn't plan on becoming the new mean judge.

so, who do you want to replace him? >> i liked harry connick. i thought he was great. >> you have to get off note quicker -- >> which note? >> what do you mean? >> i thought he was really great. >> reporter: regardless of who else is at the judge's table, look for the girl with the funny name to be back. dishing out the tough love -- >> yikes, guys. it wasn't good. it really wasn't. >> reporter: the one who knows, from her own hard knocks, what it takes to get to the top. this is vicki mabrey for "nightline" in los angeles. >> harry connick replacing simon cowell. might be interesting. we'll see. thanks to vicki mabrey for that. when we come back, general david petraeus arrives in afghanistan. but first, we'll turn to jimmy kimmel. here he is with what's coming up next. >> jimmy: tonight, the great don rickles, the great ozzy osbourne, and i got an angry letter from regis. that's right. a real angry letter from regis. i'll read that to you tonight.

"jimmy kimmel live" is next.